Thursday, June 27, 2013

Look Up: Girls' Camp

We just returned from a 2 1/2 day stake girls' camp, an event that took me and a legion of women a year to plan. It was a successful camp: spiritual, fun, and uniting. We sang "Mormon Boys," danced, and ate delicious food, minus the beans. But, amongst all the success, I was preoccupied with how we could have done a better job: Don't scratch the crafts next year; Next time, have the girls perform a skit with their bishops on Bishops' Night; Have a YCL fashion show; Go to the temple more before you come to camp so that you're more spiritually prepared for these girls. I found it impossible to live in the few days that took a year to plan.

We chose the theme "Look Up!" based on Carl B. Cook's conference talk: "It Is Better to Look Up." Our committee spent a year deciding what it means to look up: don't compare, never fear, create holy places wherever you are, look to God, doubt not, and live. But during camp I struggled to "Look Up." I questioned whether our efforts were what the Lord wanted, even after receiving confirmation that we were doing exactly what He wanted. After plaguing my brain with doubt, I finally said to myself, "Katy, put all you've done on the alter as an offering to the Lord. You've done your very best." I stood in the middle of the lodge pictured above, and I visualized myself in a barren desert--is that redundant--placing the suitcase of "My Very Best" on the alter. For maybe the first time in my life, I felt the Lord take my offering. He makes up where we go wrong, and I physically and mentally felt him lift my gaze upward.

P.S. Mi Madre came and helped me make all the value banners pictured above. She's the very best. Also, my homgurl let me take a picture with her. The church is true.